ThUppul Swamy Desikan SwarNa Kavacham Kaimkaryam : PrAthanA Poorvaka VijnApanam: Part II

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs :

 

The two Naandhi slOkams at the beginning of the Mahaa Kaavyam ( allegorical drama) of Sankalpa SooryOdhayam would be covered today .

 

These two Naandhi slOkams are for worship of the Stage ( Ranga Poojaa) on which the drama of Sanklapa SooryOdhayam is performed . They make Lord RanganAtha happy and makes Him filled with Aanandham .That is another reason for calling them Naandhi slOkams

 

The first of the two Naandhi slOkams is about Bhakti and the other is about Prapatti .These are the two UpAyams for gaining Moksham .

 

Swamy Desikan's ThiruvuLLam was for us to understand clearly that SrI BhAshyakAra SiddhAntham is the most blemish-free one and any one who gains discriminative intelligence from there would chase away the ancient dhOshams like Kaamam , Moham et al with the guNams like Vivekam and with the help of

King VivEkan and Queen Sumathy and observe Bhakthi or Prapatthi yOgam to gain Moksha PurushArtham . To help us understand these fundamental doctrines , Swamy Desikan blessed us with the allegorical drama of Sankalpa SooryOdhayam .

 

First Naandhi slOkam

 

Yadh-bhakti-prachayAtmakE dinamukhE dhrushtikshama: KshEtriNa:

kshipram samsrutiSarvareem kshipaty yath-Sankalpa sooryOdhaya:

tatthvairastra-vibhUshaNair-adhigatha swAdheena-nityOnnati:

SrimAn astu sa mE samasta-vipadhuttAraya NaarAyaNa:

 

(Meaning): Jeevan takes on a body appropriate to his karmAs and is deeply asleep in the night of samsAram. When the ripening of the Bhakti yOgam is experienced by that jeevan in the form of dawn ,the Lord's sankalpam makes it possible to see every thing clearly with the help of the rising Sun ( Sankalpa SooryOdhayam). The dark night of SamsAram is chased away by Sri Soorya Naaraayanan . That Sankalpa SooryOdhayam is nothing but Sriman NaarAyaNan's Sankalpam . VishNu PurANam states that the Nitya Sooris serve as abhimAna dEvathais for all the ChEtana and achEtana tattvams of the world and they stay on the Lord's ThirumEni as weapons (astrams) and AabharaNams( BhUshaNams) . May that Astra-AabharaNa VibhUshita Sriman NarayaNan banish all obstacles in creating this Sri Sookthi !

 

( Key Pasages from Abhinava Desika UtthamUr Swamy's commentary):

In this slOkam , the upAyam ( means) of Bhakti yOgam is identified as MokshArtha-Bhagavath sankalpa hEthu.

 

KshEtriNa: This refers to the embodied ones ( dEhina:) , who have fallen into samsAaram and experience its afflictions and are pulled out of their sufferings by the development of VivEkam.

 

rAthrE: nivrutti: usha: kaale prAptE SooryOdhayatvAth= The freedom/relief from the dark and terrifying night of SamsAram happens when the Usha: kaalam ( dawn) arrives and the Sun rises.Please refer to the Magnificent Ushas-Sooktis of Rg Vedam in this context .

 

Let us digress a little on Ushas ( Dawn) as revealed in Rg Vedam:

" By heaven's illuminings , one percieves Her a bearer of the truth and raptourous ,

she comes withits varied light into two firmaments( RV.III.61.6) .

 

Rv. V.79.8 paints Ushas as the embodiment of luminous delight and luminous plentitude:

 

uta nO Gomatheerisha aa vahahaa duhitardiva:

saakam Sooryasya raSmibhi:

 

(Meaning): " Bring to us , Oh Daughter of Heaven, luminous impulsions with the rays of the Sun".

 

The connection of VishNu to Dawn , Sooryan and Agni and its impact on the Heaven and Earth is covered by RV. VII.99.3 and 99.4 :

 

(Meaning): " Thou didst support firmly , Oh VishNu , this Earth and Heaven and uphold the earth all around by the rays. Ye two created for the sacrifice the wide other world , bringing into being the Sun , the Dawn and Agni."

 

atra samsAra rAtrE: usha: kaalO bhakti poushkalyam ; SooryOdhayasccha bhagavat sankalpa:= Poushkalyam means abundance . That SooryOdhayam is only because of

Bhagavath Sankalpam .

 

Second Naandhi slOkam

 

lakshyE yatra Srutimita-guNAkrushti-laBdhAvadhAnai:

pratyag-BhANa: praNava-dhanushA sattvavadhbhi: prayukta:

madhyEvaksha: sphurati mahasaa patrala: KoustubhAtmaa

PadhmAkAnta: sa bhavatu dayA-dhugdha-sindhu: Sriyai va:

 

(Meaning): When an archer uses the bow of OmkAra praNavam and fits the arrow known as JeevAthmaa and aims that arrow at the target of ThirumAl ( the Lord) ,

then that jeevan reaches the target and shines there like the auspicious gem,

Kousthubam on the chest . The attributes/guNAs of bhaktan , who sends the jeevan as the arrow and the bowman map well with each other. Swamy uses slEsha samathkAram ( Skills as the Lion among poets to use double meaning with the same group of words) here in using the word group: " Srutimita-guNAkrushta-laBdhavAn".

They both become SatthvavAns thus. In one intrepretation , He will be pulling the bow string upto His ears and will exhibit His strength . In another intrepretation , Bhaktan will be full of attention and satthva guNam due to his understanding of the

KalyANa GuNams of BhagavAn as revealed by the VedAs . There is even similarities between the arrow and the JevAthmaa. Arrow has wings ( sirahu) to fly to its target speedily . JeevAthmA has DharmabhUtha Jn~Anam spread all over. Aiming the arrow is the samarpaNam of Aathmaa to the Lord , the target. May this Lord , the ocean of Dayaa become the all comprehensive wealth to us all ( PadhmAkAnta: sa Bhavathu dayAdhugdhasindhu: Sriyai Va: ).

 

(Commentary): The Nadan prayed for both himself ( Bhakti yOgam) and for the audience ( Prapatti YoGam). PraNavam as revealed by MuNDaka Upanisad(2.2.4) is used for Bhakti yOgam and Taittireeyam is used for Prapatti yOgam . Swamy Desikan's Saanga Prapadhana adhikAram of Srimath Rahsya Traya Saaram covers further the observance of Prapatti with its angams.

 

MuNDaka Upanishad Mantram for Bhakti yogam is :

 

PraNavO dhanu: SarOhyAthmA Brahma TallakshyamuchyatE

apramattEna vEddhavyam SaravayynmayO bhavEth

 

(Meaning ) : " The PraNavA is bow. The Atman is the arrow. Brahman is said to be hit by a man , who is not erring. He should become one with it like the arrow."

 

adiyEn will write about one selected slOkam or two a day to request your yathaa sakti participation in the SwarNa Kavacha Kaimkkaryam to fill the gap of Five laks Rupees.

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Oppiliappan Koil Sadagopa DhAsan

 

P.S: Tomorrow , adiyEn will select a slOkam from HAMSA SANDHESAM of Swamy Desikan .